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Home Assistant -- Dashboards & UI

Last Updated: YYYY-MM-DD Status: Template

1. Purpose

This document describes all dashboards and UI design decisions in Home Assistant.

Dashboards serve different users and use cases: - Daily Use: Family-friendly, simple controls - Admin: Full visibility, debugging tools - Mobile: Optimized for phone screens

2. Dashboard Design Principles

  • Intent-Based Controls: Buttons for "Bedtime" not just "Turn off lights"
  • Context over Detail: Show what matters now (e.g., open doors, not all doors)
  • Minimal Clutter: Hide admin features from daily views
  • Responsive Design: Work well on phone, tablet, desktop
  • Permission-Based: Show different views per user

3. Dashboard Overview

3.1 Default (Home) Dashboard

Audience: All family members

Sections: 1. Quick Actions - Routine buttons, alarm toggle 2. Room Status - Temperature, humidity, lights 3. Security Overview - Door/window status, alarm state 4. Environment - Weather widget

3.2 Admin Dashboard

Audience: System administrator only

Sections: 1. System Health - HA uptime, CPU, memory, disk 2. All Entities - Batteries, signal strength, unavailable entities 3. Testing Zone - Manual triggers, test buttons

3.3 Mobile Dashboard

Audience: On-the-go access

Sections: 1. Status at a Glance - Security, alerts 2. Critical Controls - Alarm, main lights

4. Card Types

  • Entity Cards: Simple status display
  • Button Cards: Action triggers with confirmation
  • Conditional Cards: Show only when relevant (e.g., open doors)
  • Graph Cards: Historical data (temperature trends)

5. User-Specific Views

  • Admin user: All dashboards visible
  • Family users: Home dashboard only